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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. root — of a word
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. press — to push
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fall — to drop
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pound — a weight
  10. root — the cause
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fall — to drop
  15. press — newspapers
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fall — the season
  22. squash — to crush
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com